Doctor Goes Back to Joseon - Chapter 62: Geoncheondong [3]

Whoever this person was, they were clearly no ordinary individual.

For Yi Sun-shin to display such reverence was no small matter.

Kang-hyuk quickly stood as well, straightening his attire.

Having spent considerable time in Joseon, the gesture no longer felt unnatural to him.

“‘Ahem.'”

The man Yi Sun-shin had referred to as ‘daegam’ cleared his throat.

At the same moment, Yi Sun-shin darted out of the room with remarkable agility—one wouldn’t have guessed he’d been drinking.

“You’ve arrived, sir.”

“Indeed. Is everything ready for your departure?”

“Yes, thanks to your support.”

“What support? It’s your outstanding ability that earned you this.”

The two laughed heartily, their camaraderie evident.

Kang-hyuk belatedly joined Yi Sun-shin’s side and offered a bow.

“Greetings, I am Baek Kang-hyuk.”

“Oh, so you’re Baek Kang-hyuk.”

The middle-aged man let out a hearty laugh, appearing genuinely pleased to meet Kang-hyuk.

“I’ve heard much about you. They say your medical skills are extraordinary.”

“I’m unworthy of such praise.”

Feigning humility had become second nature to Kang-hyuk. Bowing his head, he replied with practiced modesty.

“Please, come inside. I’ll have a fresh table prepared for you.”

“Let’s do that.”

The man picked up the cushion resting on his saddle and entered the room.

‘Why bring that cushion?’

For some reason, Kang-hyuk was reminded of the magistrate of Anseong.

Scratching his head, he followed them inside.

By now, the half-empty dishes from earlier had been cleared away.

The servant had worked swiftly.

‘How does one train servants like this?’

Was corporal punishment the answer?

His thoughts briefly wandered to Dolseok, his own servant. Loyal as he was, Dolseok was sluggish and had recently started pushing boundaries.

“The food will be out shortly.”

Yi Sun-shin plopped down onto the floor as he spoke.

Watching him move, one would never guess he had ever injured his leg.

The middle-aged man seemed to share this sentiment, smiling approvingly as he gently placed his cushion down.

“It seems your leg has fully recovered.”

“Yes, all thanks to Kang-hyuk here.”

“Truly impressive work.”

“Ah, I haven’t introduced you to ‘daegam’ yet.”

“Oh, my apologies for the oversight.”

The man chuckled as he carefully seated himself on the cushion.

Meanwhile, Kang-hyuk’s medical instincts flared as he observed the man closely, diagnosing possibilities in his mind.

The slight grimace suggested some discomfort.

‘Does he have hemorrhoids?’

The resemblance to the magistrate of Anseong was uncanny.

Although this man appeared far more dignified and experienced.

“Allow me to introduce myself.”

“Yes, ‘daegam’.”

Kang-hyuk bowed deeply once again.

This was a man addressed as ‘daegam’—clearly someone of great importance.

It wouldn’t hurt to make a good impression.

“My name is Ryu Seong-ryong. I’ve known Sun-shin since his childhood.”

“Ryu… Seong-ryong!”

Ryu Seong-ryong—and here Kang-hyuk had been comparing him to the magistrate.

“Hm? What’s the matter?”

“Oh, nothing. I’ve simply admired you for a long time.”

“Haha, even flattery is appreciated.”

Ryu Seong-ryong was already a renowned figure in his time, so such reactions were nothing new to him.

Though he hadn’t encountered anyone quite as enthusiastic as Kang-hyuk before.

“No, I truly mean it. It’s an honor to meet you.”

Kang-hyuk’s voice carried genuine admiration.

To his left was Yi Sun-shin, and to his right, Ryu Seong-ryong.

Seeing them in person, he felt an almost surreal sense of awe.

This lineup was better than any ‘Blue Dragon’ or ‘White Tiger’ duo.

How had the nation nearly fallen when such exceptional individuals existed?

What kind of leadership could have led to such a disaster?

‘King Seonjo… what were you even doing?’

Kang-hyuk was left speechless.

– ‘Thud’

The servant returned with a new table.

It seemed Yi Sun-shin’s hunting trip had been especially fruitful; each person was served their own pheasant.

The table also held bottles of the same excellent wine from earlier.

Ryu Seong-ryong, familiar with the wine’s quality, chuckled as he spoke.

“This gathering is also to send off Sun-shin. Let us first fill our glasses.”

“Yes, ‘daegam.'”

Following Ryu’s suggestion, Yi Sun-shin and Kang-hyuk quickly filled their glasses.

Once everyone’s glass was brimming, Ryu spoke again.

“Sun-shin, you know how difficult it was to recommend you as ‘Joseonbo Manho’ (Rank 4).”

‘Joseonbo Manho.’

Though only a fourth-rank position, it was far too high for someone who had just passed the military examination.

Yi Sun-shin was well aware that this was entirely thanks to Ryu Seong-ryong.

“I understand, ‘daegam.'”

“Then go and perform well.”

“I will do my best, ‘daegam.'”

“Good. I’m sorry I can’t send you off with only good news.”

“Not at all, ‘daegam.’ Your words give me strength.”

“Haha, then let us drink.”

Ryu’s presence seemed to bring a slight formality to the gathering, making the atmosphere a bit stiff.

Kang-hyuk and Yi Sun-shin, who had previously laughed and chatted freely, now listened quietly as Ryu spoke, sipping their drinks.

“Sun-shin, you may already know this, but Kang-hyuk likely hasn’t heard.”

“Yes, ‘daegam.'”

“Recently, a man named Tachibana Yasuhiro came as an envoy.”

“Yasuhiro?”

It was a name Kang-hyuk had never heard before.

He could only recall a handful of Japanese names, and those were mostly from pop culture.

“This man mocked Governor Song Eung-hyung in Sangju and behaved arrogantly in Hanyang as well.”

Kang-hyuk, still harboring resentment over the actions of Japanese raiders, clenched his fists.

He could still vividly recall Chang-gwon sacrificing himself.

With a fierce look in his eyes, Yi Sun-shin spoke.

“If I had been there, I would have struck him down immediately.”

“No, Sun-shin. You can’t kill an envoy so recklessly, no matter what.”

“But what kind of envoy behaves so insolently? Mocking the governor’s age and even…”

“And pouring pepper all over the food during the banquet was crossing the line.”

Yi Sun-shin’s expression hardened as he recalled the details.

Ryu Seong-ryong observed him silently.

### Chapter 62: Geoncheondong [3]

A faint smile lingered on Ryu Seong-ryong’s face, though it was clear he had something on his mind.

“So, we’ve decided not to comply with that man’s demands.”

“Then you’re not planning to send envoys to Waeguk (Japan)?”

“Correct. The sea route is unfamiliar to us; how could we recklessly send people?”

“That’s a wise decision. Truly commendable.”

The two laughed heartily as they took another sip of wine.

Kang-hyuk, unaware of the full context, struggled to piece everything together.

However, he gleaned some important information.

‘At the very least, it’ll be a while before Kim Seong-il or Hwang Yun-gil travel to Japan.’

Though he didn’t know who this Yasuhiro was, it seemed there would be no envoy this time.

That meant there was still a significant amount of time before the Imjin War.

Kang-hyuk felt a slight relief as the unease over Yi Sun-shin’s sudden appointment began to fade.

Finally, he had the presence of mind to ask for details.

“Excuse me, I apologize for my ignorance, but I’m not fully aware of the situation. What exactly did this envoy do?”

Ryu Seong-ryong chuckled heartily at Kang-hyuk’s question.

“Ah, yes. You were in Suwon, weren’t you?”

“And I heard you served as a military doctor during the recent chaos in Eotan-myeon.”

“I’ve heard about it as well. Half of the letter Yun-gil sent me was about you, Kang-hyuk.”

Apparently, that loose-lipped man had even shared tales of Kang-hyuk with the Minister of Personnel.

Ryu, clearly impressed, continued speaking.

“I also heard you treated smallpox with Heo Jun of the royal medical office.”

“Ah, yes. Heo Jun is truly remarkable.”

Yi Sun-shin gave Kang-hyuk a subtle, pressuring look.

It was clear he wanted Kang-hyuk to accept the magistrate’s recommendation and take up a position.

‘I don’t like Seonjo…’

Wealth and power were tempting, but serving a king he couldn’t respect? That was out of the question.

Kang-hyuk subtly shook his head, and Yi Sun-shin quickly dropped the subject.

Unaware of their silent exchange, Ryu Seong-ryong continued.

“Anyway, that Yasuhiro fellow, he’s truly an insolent man.”

Ryu took another sip of wine, as if the thought itself made his throat dry, and resumed.

“He told Governor Song Eung-hyung of Sangju, ‘I’ve spent my life on battlefields, which is why my hair has gone gray. But you? You’ve grown gray hair from spending time with courtesans. How is that possible?'”

“How dare someone like him say such things?!”

Yi Sun-shin, clearly angered even after hearing the story again, took a rough swig of his drink.

Kang-hyuk nodded silently, listening intently to Ryu’s account.

‘The claim about living on battlefields is likely true.’

Japan’s Sengoku period had spanned the 15th and 16th centuries.

Though Kang-hyuk didn’t know Yasuhiro’s exact age, it was likely he had spent decades as a warrior.

To someone like him, the peace of Joseon probably seemed foreign.

‘Damn bastards.’

The thought of the war Japan would bring to Joseon made Kang-hyuk curse under his breath.

“And what did he do at the banquet?”

Ryu, pleased to see the anger in Kang-hyuk’s eyes, replied with a smirk.

“You know how precious black pepper is as a spice, right?”

“Yes, I’m aware.”

Pepper was so rare that ordinary people could hardly obtain it.

‘It’s mostly imported from Japan, isn’t it?’

Most of it was consumed by the royal court, while the rest was exported to China for substantial profits.

“He scattered pepper all over during the banquet. What do you think happened? The musicians and courtesans scrambled to pick it up.”

“That must have ruined the banquet.”

“That wasn’t the worst part. What he said after the banquet was truly outrageous.”

“What did he say?”

Ryu’s expression darkened as if recalling the words brought him rage.

He took several deep breaths before speaking again.

“He said that with such disorder, Joseon was bound to fall.”

“If that man had been in front of me, I would have struck him down immediately.”

Yi Sun-shin, still unable to suppress his anger, drank heavily once more.

But to Kang-hyuk, those words didn’t sound entirely baseless.

‘He’s not completely wrong.’

Had it not been for the two patriots sitting in front of him, Joseon might have already fallen.

Even the recent chaos in Eotan-myeon had been a glaring example.

The bows were so old they broke with every pull.

Even when they worked, there weren’t enough arrows to make a difference.

Though the magistrate was scrambling to restock weapons, Kang-hyuk doubted how effective it would be.

Finally calming down, Yi Sun-shin turned to Ryu.

“By the way, ‘daegam’, haven’t you been seeking out Kang-hyuk for quite some time?”

“Ah, yes. That’s right.”

Ryu shifted uncomfortably, adjusting his cushion once more.

“Hm. What to do…”

“It might be best to allow him some time.”

Normally, Kang-hyuk would have eagerly grabbed a scalpel and gotten to work.

But this time, he decided to delay.

After all, this wasn’t just anyone—it was Ryu Seong-ryong’s backside.

He couldn’t afford to be careless.

He wanted to ensure the treatment, if not perfect, would at least be exemplary.

“Is that so? When would be a good time? Lately, it’s been interfering with my duties.”

Unbeknownst to Kang-hyuk, Ryu Seong-ryong’s hemorrhoids were so severe that even during the Imjin War, they had caused him to collapse.

“Let me prepare as quickly as I can.”

“Understood. I’ll make time in my schedule.”